I had the rare opportunity to accompany the Mister on a trip this week. While he was doing his official business, I went off on a photo hike at Short Springs State Natural Area in Tullahoma, TN. A bit more ambitious that I realized, I later found out the elevation changes for the particular trails I wandered over ranged from a low of 118 feet, to a high of 1132 feet. I was grateful for generous doses of ibuprofen and muscle cream later that evening.
The hike was great, despite the extra leg work and abundance of spiderwebs. I started out early in the morning and meandered around for almost two hours. The trail took me down a steep slope to an icy creek, feed by small waterfalls. The morning sun, streaming through the trees, gave the whole scene an ethereal feel.
You can click on any image to see a larger photo, or the series as a slideshow.
(Photos shot with a Nikon D60, using an 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 20mm f/2.8 wide-angle, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, and/or iPhone4)
Thin spiral notebook 
Ethereal is the perfect word, Tara! I love the second and seventh photo. How awesome it must have been to see the last picture! 🙂 Hugs!
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Oh goodness – that last photo is awesome!!! Sun beams playing in your world.
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What a beautiful place. The shot of the sun streaming through the trees onto the water is simply breathtaking!
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Thank you Terri. The scene was a wonderful surprise when I finally made it down the trail to the creek. I could’ve stood there gawking all day.
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The rays of sun are amazing. It’s nice to get out early….you feel like you’re the only person in the world! Enjoy your week!
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I had the trails to myself until I was leaving the park. The quiet and solitude was lovely.
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Oh, it looks like a fairy land. Beautiful.
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Cyndy is really was breathtaking. I stood in the shadows just drinking in the scene for the longest time.
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You amaze me! That last shot is simply stunning! Beautiful work — seems like a fortuitous trip. Happy Sunday!
🙂
Traci
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Thanks! It was a surprise that I was able to go, and the park was one I didn’t know about when we lived in the area. It was a win/win for everything.
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I love the shot with the shards of sunlight!
Mollyxxx
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Thank you. It was a truly amazing image, I captured only a fraction of how beautiful it was.
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Your shots here are wonderful.
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Thank you so much. It was a fun hike.
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I’ve been on a few hikes like that myself. I agree that aspirin wins the day. Wonderful shots though.
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Thanks! There are no hills even close to that in Florida. I feel like I worked hard for these photos.
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Gorgeous captures. I particularly love the last one – the sunbeams are spectacular. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks, Diane. When I reached the bottom of the hill and saw the stream, it was an amazing sight. I’m glad I could capture even a portion of the scene.
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